Living pain-free: That's the focus of new Victor gym

VICTOR — Structural Body Systems, a new gym in Victor, specializes in getting you fit but with a new twist.

The gym, founded by husband and wife Greg and Kerry Davis, specializes in kettlebell and other workouts that are designed to utilize all of the muscles that people use every day. Kerry Davis created her own original workout plan utilizing these cannonballs with a handle in unique ways.

“What makes us unique is my wife designed the exercises,” said Greg Davis. “She was focused not on show muscles and beach muscles, which are also important, but stabilizer muscles. We work from the inside out.”

These workout plans are designed to strengthen the muscles that people use routinely to do things like lift grocery bags or even pencils, Greg said.

“The wonderful thing about kettlebell exercise that we do is we don’t do muscle isolation,” he said. “You can exercise every day. It’s a more realistic approach to how you live.”

The idea to open a gym that focused on working these muscles came about when Kerry designed the workouts to help Greg with his back pain. Greg said that his chiropractor was amazed that his flexibility and strength was increasing rather than decreasing with his age and that his back pain had been completely eliminated.

The Davises both have a history with weight training and working out. Greg has been mentored by an Olympic lifter and is currently working on obtaining his black belt in jujitsu. Kerry is a licensed massage therapist and has a background in running and weightlifting.

The gym also offers kickboxing and mobility classes, and interested people can sign up for private training classes with the owners. Everyone must go through a fundamentals class before moving up to more advanced classes. The fundamentals classes are smaller classes to focus on proper technique to avoid injury.

“When done correctly there are no detriments to kettlebell, but that’s where having good instruction is key,” said Greg.

The kettlebell originally comes from Russia, where it was used by farmers to weigh crops. It is now used in gyms throughout the nation. Structural Body Systems creates exercise plans based off of hardstyle training, which was used for Russian Special Ops.

The business opened on Aug. 3 and will host a grand opening in September. The couple have done a majority of the renovations themselves.

Despite only having been open for a short time, Greg said that the gym has already gotten a few new memberships and has had repeat customers. One of these satisfied individuals is Jean Dlugosh, who began working out with the Davises last year at their home.

“They are just really energetic and positive people,” Dlugosh said. “It’s a great space. I think they will be very successful. … They’re very knowledgable. They really know what they’re talking about and they work out too. They do it with you.”

Page 2 of 2 - Dlugosh partakes in both the kettlebell exercises and the kickboxing classes. She said she loves kettlebell because “it’s an all-over body workout.”

“You get your cardio and muscle training in,” she said. “There are lots of different things you can do with it and you can always work up to a different weight. It never gets easy.”

Hours for Structural Body Systems vary depending on what classes are being offered that day. No matter what classes you choose to partake in, Greg said that the goal is to uphold their slogan “Living pain free.”

“Our studio is small, but there’s a good reason for that,” he said. “We want to be accessible to as many people as possible. … We want people to live and move pain-free.”

More about Structural Body Systems

WHAT A gym focusing on kettlebell exercises and workout plans that strengthen your stabilizing muscles

WHERE Phoenix Mills Plaza. Route 96, Victor

CONTACT (585) 398-3035

WEBSITE structuralbodysystems.com

COST $100 for a punch card (10 sessions); $80 for one month of kickboxing; $100 for one month full membership